Fargo’s Fighting Machine: CLICKON Exclusive With UFC’s Tim Johnson

Within the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, you’re likely to find some of the baddest men on the planet. From the champion all the way down to the #15 ranked challenger there are some scary individuals present, and that includes Minnesota’s own Tim Johnson.

The 32-year-old has been plying his trade in the UFC for nearly two and a half years now, and in that time he’s been on something of a rollercoaster journey. With three wins and three losses to his name you’d expect him to have faded into the distance somewhat, but this is a man who possesses all of the potential in the world to become a star within this division.

“There were good experiences and bad [in the National Guard]. I think every military man will say that, they can think about good things and then things that suck. In all the experiences were pretty good, and I’ll probably be getting back into it at some point.”

The Fargo native spoke with us at CLICKON Sports recently, going into detail about a range of topics both in and outside of the octagon. Few will know that Tim was is actually an army veteran having served in the National Guard prior to his MMA career, and it turns out that fate may well have played a role in his transition down the combat sports path.

On two separate occasions, Johnson was set to sign an extended contract with the Guard, before certain circumstances prevented it from happening. It seems as if all the signs were pointing towards the 11-4 fighter moving on to pastures new, and as we fast forward to the present day things are going pretty well for him.

Johnson has a lot of hobbies to keep him occupied away from fighting, but most importantly of all he has the right kind of attitude. He’s calm, composed and always wants to stay busy, ensuring that he keeps a level head and a smart mentality whilst doing so.

“In my mind I’ve had some good fights in the UFC and some terrible fights in the UFC, and that’s all on me, I’m responsible for all of that. I won’t be fighting until next year because of school and letting my body heal up, and focus on getting better physically and technically. My next fight is either going to be a coming out party or not.”

That isn’t something that you necessarily see from guys within that weight class, mainly because of the pressures associated with being a heavyweight fighter. Johnson, though, would much rather look towards helping others and has even expressed interest in going down to help out the victims of Hurricane Irma.

Of course, business is business and Johnson is fully aware of that, but he isn’t rushing to get back into the octagon. Instead, he’s looking to take his time and allow his body to recuperate, and that’s the best move possible given how many people attempt to rush their way back into the minds of the fans.

Tim knows that he can let his skill set do the talking for him, and he also knows what he wants. As a passionate Vikings fan he likely has a tendency to put his heart on his sleeve and go after something he wants, and in this instance, he wants fellow heavyweight fighter Derrick Lewis.

“I don’t try to ‘sexy’ a fight up in my mind, it’s just a normal fight. It’s two guys going out there trying to compete with each other.”

It’d be a barnstormer of a fight for sure, and it indicates just how confident this man is when it comes to the heights he can reach in this industry.

Keep your eyes on this guy, because we could have a contender in our hands in a few years time – and not just because of his glorious moustache.

I'm a 22-year-old sports journalist covering football, MMA, NFL, WWE and more. I'm a Wolves fan, because for some reason I enjoy misery and heartache season after season.
Forever dreaming of a team of Steve Bulls.